Smith Village construction delays frustrate Flint homebuyers

View full sizeKristin Longley | MLive.comConstruction barrels and blocked roads are pictured Friday at the New Smith Village housing development in Flint.

FLINT, MI -- Dozens of beautiful new homes stand on the site of the New Smith Village housing development -- but they're out of reach for some of the people who agreed to buy them.

Five months after the developer completed 25 houses at Smith Village, some families are still being told their homes aren't move-in ready because roads, sewer connections, porches, landscaping and driveways aren't finished.

It's just the latest in a series of bumps in the road for the government-subsidized housing project, which started 14 years ago but stalled over the course of several city administrations.

For Quintin Evans and his family, the last few months have been nothing short of frustrating. He moved back to Flint in November to help his sister and mother move into his sister's new Smith Village home.

The family was told the women would be able to move in December -- but then December turned into January, then March, then April and now May, he said. The Flint home where the three live is crowded with boxes of belongings that have been ready to move for months.

"And they're still not getting any answers," said Evans. "It's taken a total toll on this family. It wasn't fair to tell them the house would be ready at this time and it wasn't."

Flint City Councilman Bernard Lawler, who represents the city's 5th Ward where Smith Village is located, is holding a news conference Monday to highlight the delays and try to get some answers for the families.

Lawler said the lack of communication and transparency from emergency manager Michael Brown's administration has hindered the developer's progress on the project. He said it's the city's responsibility to complete the main infrastructure, such as roads and sewer lines, so people can move into the houses.

"That's what they need to respond to," Lawler said. "To go out there now, you'll see some activity happening,
but that's just happening yesterday. There's been two to three months with no activity."

He also questioned why Brown's office sent out a request for proposals for a new developer.

Tracy Atkinson, Flint's director of community and economic development, said the bid request was sent because Brown is "exploring all options" for city projects, including Smith Village.

She said the city is doing everything it can to keep the project on track, and her office has arranged meetings between the developer and banks, the county and other entities.

"The developer owns those homes," Atkinson said. "The city has been very involved with the developer over
the past six months to get the units finished and sold... We've been at the table more than you would expect."

Lela McGee-Johnson, spokeswoman for developer Smith Village Construction Services, declined to comment Friday for this story, but said more information would be available at the press conference.

In total, 83 homes are supposed to be built by 2013 at Smith Village. The developer was brought on by Flint Mayor Dayne Walling's administration to finish the languishing project under threat of penalty from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Both Atkinson and Lawler said the first priority has to be getting the houses built and getting buyers into their homes.

"We have families who
are upset because they're on delay," Atkinson said. "We feel their frustration."

Evans said he hopes the city and developer can resolve their issues so his sister, Alice Evans, can move into her house -- the first home she's ever owned.

"I've been inside my actual home and I really want it to be my home," she said. "The finger-pointing just needs to come to a stop."